Hannah woke up feeling physically exhausted, but her heart was light. She turned to her side and noticed Alden was not there, but she could hear the sound of running water from the half-open bathroom door. Her cheeks flushed, recalling last night’s events. It felt like a dream.
She reached for a kimono to cover her bare body and got out of bed, unsure of what to do next. Last night was completely unexpected for her.
“Hannah?” Alden called from the bathroom.
Startled, Hannah wondered if she should pretend to still be asleep, but that seemed impossible. She peeked cautiously around the bathroom door. “Yes?”
“Could you help me?”
Alden was showering, sitting on a special stool. Hannah grabbed his wheelchair while averting her gaze. It was an awkward moment for her, but Alden just smiled gently.
“What’s wrong?” Alden asked.
“Sorry, but you’re not wearing any clothes.”
“I just finished showering, Hannah.” Alden chuckled softly. “Do you think I shower with clothes on?”
“Well, yeah, I know.”
Hannah helped Alden cover his lower body with a towel and then assisted him into the wheelchair. As they left the bathroom, Hannah realized she didn’t know who helped Alden dress and eat.
“When you’re at home, who helps you?” Hannah asked.
Since there were no servants wandering around, Hannah had only seen one or two female servants who seemed restricted to certain areas unless needed.
“There’s a male servant named Mike. Before him, it was Edward who helped me,” Alden replied casually.
“Oh, I see.”
“When we get home, will you help and take care of me?” Alden asked.
Hannah stared, wide-eyed, but quickly nodded. “Of course. I’d love to.”
Her words felt genuine, and Alden noticed. Unlike Sarah, who ran away upon discovering Alden’s condition, Hannah came to him when he was no longer perfect.
A few minutes later, Hannah was helping Alden dress. He didn’t take his eyes off her, even though she seemed awkward, she was calm and didn’t say anything.
“Hannah, if you’re still tired, you should rest. I’m going to the hospital to visit my father,” Alden said.
“It’s okay. I’ll take a quick shower and go with you.”
“Are you sure? I’m worried you might still be sore.”
Hannah didn’t respond.
She had given up something precious last night, and Alden realized Hannah was still a virgin. He felt very guilty if he had hurt her.
Hannah shook her head weakly. “I’m fine.”
They sat quietly together on the bed. Alden reached for Hannah’s hand and kissed it gently, then kissed her forehead with affection.
“Forgive me for everything, Hannah. I promise to be better,” Alden whispered.
Hannah wanted to cry. Alden’s words touched her deeply. The cold and harsh Alden was now opening his heart. It was a happiness she couldn’t express in words.
Hannah nodded, unable to hold back her tears.
“Hey, why are you crying?” Alden asked.
“I’m just happy, that’s all.”
Alden hugged Hannah tightly, letting the moment be silent for a while.
Until Alden’s phone rang, and it was Edward calling. Hannah’s gut feeling turned bad as Alden spoke softly on the phone. He sighed and then hung up, looking at Hannah with teary eyes.
“Father passed away,” Alden whispered.
*
Maxim’s body was soon brought back to Summerhill, and his death made headlines in the city. Although Maxim was no longer a billionaire, many acquaintances and colleagues attended the funeral. Maxim’s name, along with Alden and Hannah’s, was featured in the media.
There were even rumors that the Harrison family was cursed, with a troubled daughter-in-law and Maxim dying from the stress of her affair.
On top of that, news about Maxim’s child being taken by his ex-wife added to Hannah’s stress every time she checked social media.
After Maxim’s funeral, Hannah mostly stayed in her room. She didn’t want to burden Alden with her feelings while he was grieving.
Hannah’s door knocked, and Alden opened it. “Hannah?”
“Alden? What’s wrong?” Hannah asked.
Since arriving at Summerhill, they had slept in separate rooms, with no romantic moments. So, Hannah was surprised when Alden came to her room.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about,” Alden said.
Hannah nodded and sat on the edge of the bed. Alden paused for a moment, seemingly thinking, then cleared his throat softly.
“I’m going to meet with a lawyer to sort everything out, including our agreement,” Alden said.
“Oh, and then?”
“Now that my father is gone and my obligation is fulfilled, I want to release you from our agreement, Hannah. Including giving you the money for your house.”
Hannah froze. Did Alden mean he wanted to divorce her?
“But you said…” Hannah didn’t know what to say.
Didn’t Alden start to love her, just as she did him? Hannah wanted to build a true and serious marriage, to fix their relationship and get to know each other better.
But was Alden just going to bury it all and forget everything they had gone through?
“I just don’t want to burden you with our marriage issues. You can continue leading Texco for the next year. After that, if you want a divorce, I won’t oppose it,” Alden explained.
Hannah weakly nodded. “Alright.”
“When you’re ready, the lawyer will come tomorrow afternoon to prepare all the documents.” Alden took a deep breath. “Well, then, rest well.”
Alden left the room, leaving Hannah overwhelmed with emotions.
Hannah tried to hold back her tears, not wanting to cause more trouble. But Alden’s words were delivered without anger or emotion. Maybe this was what Alden wanted to free her.
Was it wrong for Hannah to want to stay? Because the love in her heart was growing, and she didn’t want to let Alden go.
Hannah felt suffocated, then she left her room. The most comfortable place for her was the back porch, and maybe there she could think more clearly.
As Hannah sat down, Edward suddenly appeared. He nodded politely.
“Mrs. Hannah, may I have a word with you?”